Blog
Filter By:
Advocacy • Analysis • Blog • Commentary • Drama • Essay • Event • Feature • Fiction • Graphic Narrative • Interview • Memoir • News • Obituary • Open Letter • Poetry • Press Release • Profile
Browse By Series:
PEN Poetry Series • Prison Writing • The PEN Ten Interviews • Illustrated PEN • Pen Pals • The PEN World
Browse By Email Subscription:
PEN America News • Educational Censorship News • Works of Justice
Concern Raised Over Cancellation of Panel at Anthropology Meeting
(NEW YORK)— Last week, the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and the Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) removed a panel from their annual meeting program, set to take place next month in… More
Fear that New Texas Policy Will Limit Books Allowed in Prisons
(NEW YORK)— Without notification, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has apparently implemented an “approved vendor” policy for its prisons, a type of censorship that PEN America opposes… More
Banned Books Week 2023 Open Letter and Call to Action: We Believe in the Freedom to Read
(NEW YORK) — For Banned Books Week 2023, PEN America and We Believe gathered a consortium of the nation’s leading publishers, teacher and librarian groups, and nonprofit organizations to rally… More
On Fifth Anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder, PEN America Decries Continuing Lack of Justice
The plot against Khashoggi was never just about silencing one individual; it was a direct attack on freedom of expression and the written word more broadly, and the impunity… More
Life Prison Sentence for Turkish Cultural Rights Activist Osman Kavala is Upheld
Turkish court’s decision upholding the life sentence against Osman Kavala illustrates the totality of the government’s crackdown on free expression and the breakdown of rule of law. Life behind… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of September 25
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
PEN America Celebrates Translators for Bridging Divisions Through Words
Translators are indispensable allies in our quest to cultivate communication among diverse peoples and culture. The help us develop a collective vision of a world anchored in human rights.… More
Hollywood Artists Join Writers for Banned Books Week Day of Action Oct. 7
(NEW YORK)—More than 20 actors, writers, and artists are joining together to spread the word about book bans by creating videos about their favorite banned books, a project spearheaded… More
Amid Crisis of School Book Bans, Banned Books Week Arrives Oct. 1 with Urgency to Defend the Freedom to Read
LINK to the PEN America Banned Books Week actions and events (NEW YORK)— With school book bans surging 33 percent over the past school year, this year’s Banned Books Week Oct.… More
Support for Congressional Resolutions Condemning Book Bans and Educational Censorship
(Washington) – As the movement to ban books and censor classrooms continues to undermine free speech and academic freedom across our nation’s public schools, Representative Jamie Raskin on Wednesday… More